Question #3 Why is the initial response from a police officer to a missing child call considered a crucial component of an investigation? What does an officer do to verify that a child is missing? There are a couple of reasons why the initial response by a police officer is considered a crucial part of a missing child investigation. One, the patrol officers are available 365 days a year, and 24 hours a day. Two, the patrol officers are knowledgeable about their patrol areas and the neighborhoods in them, which gives them an advantage in knowing all the possible places the missing youth may be. The patrol officer first determines the seriousness of the missing persons complaint, protects the scene until investigators arrive to take over, gathers important information while it is fresh, conducts the preliminary interview of witnesses prior to detectives arriving. Gathering information while fresh in the minds of witnesses is crucial to the success of a missing person investigation. As well as the safeguarding of the scene to protect any evidentiary items from contamination. Time is of the essence when searching for a missing child. Fortunately, 97 to 99 percent of missing children are recovered alive within 72 hours or less. Most law enforcement agencies use certain factors to determine whether to mobilize full resources during the first patrol officer’s response. Some guidelines established by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (Barnard, D, et al.) that the officer may use are: - Is the child 13 or younger? This age is established in the federal Missing Children's Assistance Act. - Is the missing youth believed to be outside their safety zone based on their age and maturity level? For example, with an infant, the safety zone would be in the immediate presence of an adult or in their crib, or in their stroller. For children within their school ages, the safety zones might be the immediate neighborhood, or the route that they usually take between their school and their home. - Is the missing youth mentally challenged? If the child has a mental disability or the child is emotionally disturbed, they may have difficulty telling others vital information such as their name, or address, or phone number. The nature of this disability places these children in grave danger of being exploited by certain nefarious individuals. - Is the missing youth drug dependent? By drug dependent this could be prescription medications or illegal substances. Any dependence on drugs puts the missing child at risk. Without medication, a medically needy child’s condition may become life threatening. The illicit drug abuser may become exploited by individuals to satisfy their drug habit. - Is the missing youth a victim of foul play, or sexual exploitation? If there are indications of possible abduction, violence at the scene or signs of sexual abuse, the child is considered endangered-and immediate mobilization of the police department is essential. - Has the child been missing for twenty-four hours before being reported to the police? A parent's failure to report a missing child for twenty-four hours can be a red flag. In some cases, parents wait to contact the police because they believe that the police will not respond to a missing child case before the twenty-four hours have passed. Unfortunately, this delayed response allows time to pass that could be crucial in recovering the child alive. - Is the missing youth believed to be with an adult that may endanger the welfare of the child? If there is an indication that the child may be with an adult who might exploit them or place them at risk, immediate law enforcement intervention is necessary. - Is the absence a significant deviation from the missing child’s usual routine? A deviation from the normal routine of the child is cause for concern. A child who is late from school by ten minutes is not a major deviation from their normal routine, however, a child missing after school for hours is cause for concern and requires further police department investigation. Any of the above-mentioned reasons should be cause for immediate action to reduce the danger to the child and lead to a quick recovery time. It is also imperative that the responding officer or officers make certain that the missing child cannot be located on or near the site or scene. The value of the beat officers is huge. Their knowledge of the area, their knowledge of things that look out of sorts, and suspicious people is especially useful. REFERENCES Barnard, D. L., Masino, C., Munn, H., Peery, D., Reid, L., Sheppard, H. W., . . . Steidel, S. E. (2006). Missing and Abducted Children: A Law-Enforcement Guide to Case Investigation and Program Management. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://ncjtcstatic.fvtc.edu/Resources/RS00002449.pdf Lyman, M. D. (2018). Criminal investigation, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Pearson.
